SUNY ESF
Vegetation Plots and Transects
Vegetation Inventories
Biotic Control Calcium Project
Vegetation Inventory Master Metadata Document
Updated 03 May 2010
- Metadata Team
- Matt Vadeboncoeur
- Elizabeth Hane
- Farrah Fatemi
- Marty Acker
2. Overview of component data sets and data availability
- Transect-based vegetation data were taken at the 13 Chronosequence (Extensive) sites in the summers of 1994/5 as well as in 2003. (Acker and Hane). In the summer of 2004, transect-based vegetation data were taken at site CC2 in Bartlett (Acker).
- These data were analyzed for basal area, stem density, and stand structure. (Acker) Raw data are also available.
- Plot-based vegetation data were taken at the 9 Bartlett Intensive sites in the summers of 2004 and 2005. (Vadeboncoeur, Acker, and Fatemi)
- Currently only raw data are available. (Vadeboncoeur)
- Beech bark disease assessments were made at the 9 Bartlett Intensive sites as well as 10 of the 13 Chronosequence sites in November 2005. Beech bark disease assessments have not been made at T30, and the data for M3 are incomplete as of November, 2006. (Vadeboncoeur and Acker)
- Raw data are available with very simple graphs of mean score by site age and tree size. (Vadeboncoeur)
3. Global Metadata (the information in this section pertains to all component data sets)
A. Definitions
For the purpose of vegetation surveys, we classified trees into the following groups based on size measurements:
- Overstory: All trees >= 10.0 cm dbh
- Midstory: All trees >= 2.0 cm dbh and < 10 cm dbh
- Saplings: All trees >= 50cm height and < 2.0 cm dbh
- Seedlings: All trees < 50cm height without cotyledons
- Germinants: Recently germinated trees with cotyledons present or fresh cotyledon scars apparent.
Species codes used in the spreadsheets:
Code Common name Scientific binomial AA Downy Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea ASH White Ash Fraxinus americana ASP Quaking Aspen or Bigtooth Aspen Populus spp . BASS Basswood Tilia americana BC Black Cherry Prunus serotina BE American Beech Fagus grandifolia BIRCH unknown Birch
(germinants are indistinguishable)Betula spp . CC American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana DOG Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida FIR Balsam Fir Abies balsamea HEM Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis MM Mountain Maple Acer spicatum MTASH Mountain Ash Sorbus americana NONE OV Eastern Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana PC Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica RM Red Maple Acer rubrum RO Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra RS Red Spruce Picea rubens SM Sugar Maple Acer saccharum STM Striped Maple Acer pennsylvanicum UNK unknown – unidentifiable or error in original data sheets. VIB Hobblebush Viburnum alnifolium WB White Birch or Gray Birch Betula papyrifera or B. populifolia WP Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus YB Yellow Birch Betula alleghaniensis YEW Canadian Yew Taxus canadensis
B. Global Procedures
Diameter at breast height (dbh) was measured with a diameter tape to the nearest 0.1 cm at a height of 1.37 meters. For trees on steep slopes, an attempt was made to measure 1.37 meters up from the uphill side of the tree.
Tree height (when measured) was measured as the resting height of the highest woody part of the tree above base of the tree. No effort was made to manually “stretch” the tree to its maximum reach.
Dead trees are marked with a “D” in the column labeled “Dead/Alive”
Saplings, seedlings, and germinants were counted within each plot but not measured other than to determine whether to count them as seedlings or saplings.
Additional notes were taken on some trees, as noted in component metadata.
4. Brief summary of Set-Specific Metadata
(with a focus on issues that may affect comparability among data sets)
Chronosequence Transects 1994-5
- Inventories were conducted at the six H sites in 1994 and at the remaining seven Chronosequence sites in 1995, along permanent transects marked with orange PVC stakes.
- Transect length differed at sites H1 and H4 as described in metadata.
- Summarized data are all expressed per hectare and should be comparable across all sites.
Link to current version of the data file
Link to current version of the metadata fileData revision history:
- 10-14-2004 original file uploaded by Marty Acker
- 2-14-2005 Procedural metadata were inserted into XLS file as a separate sheet. No changes made to data or metadata.
- 1-11-2006 Several species code and date errors were corrected. Species codes were updated to conform to the system used in later data sets. Site code for HB101 was updated to match new standard.
- 11-27-2006 Updated inconsistent site codes which were missed in the previous go-through.
- 6-12-2009 Made corrections to species identity of several trees on sites H1 and H2 which had been misidentified as SM (were actually RM).
Chronosequence Transects 2003
- Inventories were conducted along original transects wherever possible, so that the data should be comparable to the 1994-5 data as a true re-measurement.
- Files analyzing basal area, stem density, and stand structure in 1994-5 and 2003 are available.
Link to current version of the data file
Link to current version of the metadata fileData revision history:
- 10-14-2004 original file uploaded by Marty Acker
- 2-14-2005 Procedural metadata were inserted into XLS file as a separate sheet. No changes made to data or metadata.
- 1-11-2006 Species codes for spruce were updated to conform to the system used in later data sets. Site code for HB101 was updated to match new standard.
- 11-27-06 Updated inconsistent site codes which were missed in the previous go-through.
Site CC2 Transects 2004
- Inventories were conducted using methodology similar to that used for the Chronosequence sites, but with different plot sizes and number.
- Transects were labeled using white pvc pipes and flagging. Be careful at this site not to confuse the round, hollow PVC stakes used for the veg. transects with the 3-sided solid white fiberglass stakes which mark the woody debris transects.
Link to current version of the data file
Link to current version of the metadata fileData revision history:
- 1-11-2006 original file uploaded by Marty Acker
Bartlett Intensive Plots 2004-5
- Inventories were conducted in each of the four permanent plots at each of the nine Bartlett Intensive sites, as the plots were established. Plots 1-3 at each site were surveyed in 2004, and plot 4 at each site was surveyed in 2005.
- Trees >=10cm dbh were tagged to allow detailed study of future growth and mortality.
- The procedure was designed to yield data comparable to the Chronosequence data. The same categories were used and the only major difference is the plot arrangement.
- Seedling and germinant plots were inventoried twice (2004 and 2005) due to high interannual variation and the possibility of species misidentification in 2004.
- Re-tagging and re-measuring of plots begain in 2008, and may continue thru 2009. These data are not yet posted.
Link to current version of the data file
Link to current version of the metadata fileData revision history:
- 2-24-2004 Tagged Trees, 5x5 plots, and 2x2 plots sent 24 February 2005 by Farrah Fatemi
- 3-28-2004 1x1 plots added by Farrah Fatemi
- 8-23-2005 4 th plots, 1x1 re-measurements, and data corrections from 2005 field season added by Matt Vadeboncoeur.
- 9-29-2006 Duplicate entries removed by Matt Vadeboncoeur.
- 5-20-2008. Additional errors (duplicate entries and incorrect species codes) corrected by Matt Vadeboncoeur. All changes noted as comments in the affected cell.
Beech Bark Disease Assessment 2005
- BBD scores were recorded by tree during litterfall collection in November 2005. One tree was scored near each basket, for a total of up to 15 trees per site.
- The scoring system is modeled after Houston and O'Brien (1983), which has been used in the past by Rhoads on abandoned agricultural lands (2004) and at Hubbard Brook (2002), and by Hane at Hubbard Brook and elsewhere (2005).
- Sites under 20 years old were not scored due to low presence of BBD in these stands.
- Three sites were inaccessible in 11/05 and were planned to be scored in 2006. In 2006, we did M3 and M5, but lost some of the data for M3. Data have still not been collected at T30.
- Mean score is plotted against stand age and tree diameter.
Link to current version of the data file
More complete metadata are embedded in the XLS file as a separate sheetData revision history:
- original file version posted by Marty Acker
- 1-12-2006 update uploaded by Matt Vadeboncoeur – includes more detailed metadata as well as a sheet summarizing means by site age and diameter class.
- 11-17-2006 update uploaded by Matt Vadeboncoeur; includes data collected in summer 2005 at sites M3 and M5.
5. References
Hane, E. N. 2005. The effects of land-use history on beech bark disease severity. Proceedings of the Beech Bark Disease Symposium. USFS General Technical Report NE-331:138-141.
Houston , D.R. and O'Brien, J.T. 1983. Beech bark disease. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Forest and Insect Disease Leaflet 75.Rhoads, A.G. et al . 2002. Effects of an intense ice storm on the structure of a northern hardwood forest. CJFR 32 : 1763-1775.
Rhoads, A.G. 2004. Ph.D. Dissertation, Brown University .
Vegetation
What Where When File Name
File Format
Supporting Information
Last Updated (Date)
Last Updated by:
2004-05, 2008-10, 2011, 2014, 2015 Fisk, M.C., R.D. Yanai, and T.J. Fahey. 2022. Tree DBH response to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization in the MELNHE study, Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, Bartlett Experimental Forest, and Jeffers Brook ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/377b1fd44bd88a58e9654ab207e50706 (Accessed 2022-03-15).
Excel Meta data in file EDI added 4/13/22 7/19/2021
Melany Fisk Bartlett, full inventory
C1-C9, HBCa-2, HBO, JBO, HBM, JBM
2004-05, 2008-10, 2011, 2014, 2015
MELNHE_inventory_23May2016_AW.xlsx***Adam added stem map data, Melany did not use this file to update the file above, she use MELNHE_inventory_20Feb2016_SG to update. Excel Meta data on first page, looked at species 5/23/16 Adam Wild Veg data--All
Chronosequence stands 14
2012
Chronosequence_Veg_Data_2012_Wild_2_3_13.xlsx Excel Meta data on first page, looked at species 1/13/12 Adam Wild 2011 Biomass Inventory
Sleepers River
2003-2011
Biomass_Inventory_June2011.xls Excel No Meta data, looked at species June 2011 Kelly Nywenig Tree height for all trees >10 cm DBH
Bartlett C1-C9
2011
tree height_Bartlett 2011.xlsx Excel Meta data on first page, looked at species 7/17/2011 Lin Liu Example of the Monte Carlo in Excel to estimate uncertainty around biomass
C1-C9, JB, HB
2004-2010
HB JB BEF tree biomass (monte carlo).xlsx Excel 2007 (windows) Meta data on first page, sorted by species 2/3/2011 Carrie Rose Levine Aboveground biomass, 64 species, graph and data
Bartlett C1-C9
2005 (could not confirm)
Excel 2003 (Windows)
Meta data on first page, sorted by species
rec'd December 2008
Veg data 2004, species count and diameter
CC2
2004
Excel 2002 (Windows)
Meta data on first page
1/11/2006
Veg data 2004, stem density, basal area
CC2
2004
Excel 2002 (Windows)
Meta data on first page, sorted by species
1/11/2006
Veg data 2003
T20, T30, HB101, H1-H6, M3-M6
Excel 2003 (Windows)
Meta data on first page, sorted by species
11/27/2006
Basal area total, stem density by size class, basal area by species
T20, T30, HB101, H1-H6, M3-M6
1994/5 and 2003
Excel 2002 (Windows)
Meta data on first page, Basal area sorted by species
10/07/2004
All Veg data
Chronosequence 12 stands
1994-95
Excel 2003 (Windows)
Meta data on first page, sorted by species
6/12/2009
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